footplate vs. wheel for Tongue Jack

[JEVanHorn]

Hello all,

I need to replace the tongue jack on my Scamp 13'. Can someone give me their thoughts on using a footplate vs a wheel? I don't know what the advantages/disadvantages are for either option. And if someone can recommend a good brand that would be great as well. I need a bolt-on style and would like to have a sidewind style. My current style has the top crank and I have to remove the propane tank in order to crank the jack up and down.

[sokhapkin]

Footplate would be my choice. The wheel is usually useless. As for brand, everything (except for Ultimate jack) is the same.

[Glenn Baglo]

You can often find those jack wheels on the freebie tarp at a rally.

[mary and bob]

We have the Ultimate Jack on our Casita 17 and like it because I can drop it down and then open the truck tailgate. It has a foot pad. For any other jack you want to check the extension length, which is the length the outer tube extends below the trailer tongue. There are different lengths available. If you get a jack with the wheel there is a pad available to put on the ground for the wheel to set in. The wheel is usually removable on some, but not all tongue jacks. The wheel can be handy if you are parked on a level hard surface.

[Jon in AZ]

Footplate, no question. Wheel only works on pavement or concrete, and then you have to stop it from moving when you’ve got it positioned. I can lift the tongue of my Scamp enough to slide the footplate a short distance as needed.

[Steve.L]

Instead of the wheel or std foot plate, look at the "Fastway Flip Automatic Jack Foot". It will save time and energy jacking up the tongue.

[AlanKilian]

We use the wheel.

It allows us to uncouple in the street and push it up the street and into our driveway.

It also allows us to reposition at a campsite easily.

[Raspy]

I never use a wheel, but I carry one with me for recovery purposes. For instance, turning the trailer around on a dead end road, or winching it out or a mud hole after getting stuck. The larger the trailer, the less useful the wheel is for pushing the trailer around. And wheels put a lot of stress on the jack, compared to a flat plate. Wheels can also allow the trailer to roll away when disconnecting if you don't have your chocks set well.

[floyd]

Mine has a removable foot which interchanges with a wheel.
I use the wheel at home to mov the trailer around.
I use the foot on the road for a secure setup at the campsite.


Mine has a side crank which I think is better than a top crank as shown below.
I converted mine to work from a battery drill or the hand crank (speed wrench) which came with my BAL stabilizers.

[Conrad S.]

I like the wheel because it allows for moving the trailer by hand. It will roll on gravel as well as asphalt or hard ground. Our 1990 Scamp 13 has a swing-up mount on the side of the tongue.

[Thomas W]

My 15 foot trillium came with a wheel and I like it because I can easily maneuver it around my pole barn which has pretty tight spacing. Likewise you can pull it up to your tow vehicle if necessary.
Previous comments are pertinent. Check to make sure you get enough lift with it, and it does not substitute for a front Jack. You will still need jacks to support the front corners of the trailer. Those combo units look pretty interesting I would investigate those

[Vanhamies]

Floyd I would love to replace my hand cranked jack with one that I can operate with a cordless drill. What is that you have where the crank was?

[Lloyd (aka Santa) Coltman]

It looks like maybe Floyd cut the 'Crank' off, and welded an appropriate size hex nut on the stub, dressing the weld level by grinding.
I could be wrong, though.

[computerspook]

I would absolutely use a foot. I have to wonder about those people who need this to move their camper very far. I certainly can back it in anywhere it should be going. So that may be a factor. I would also expect a foot to be more stable.

But the one thing I have learned is that not all feet are created equal. If you just have a flat foot like you might get by having a welder create one for you because the previous one had been stolen (long story) you will end up sorry. You need a foot like the one in Floyd's picture. Front with a bigger lip and then a lip on all sides.

[georgianwinds]

I used to remove the wheel for travel to avoid bottoming out and then put it back on each time. Became a pain trying to align the darn holes at times. And so, I switched to the plate and love it. Needed to improve my backup skills though. The wheel option btw was still too much for one person to push the camper and besides most campsites had soft soil, rendering the wheel useless.

I also removed the crank handle and replaced it with a hex head bolt, cut to length, and drilled to receive a cotter pin. I then welded a 3/4" socket to the end of a new crank handle. Easy, peasy and now my tailgate will lower without hitting the crank handle.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Vanhamies

Floyd I would love to replace my hand cranked jack with one that I can operate with a cordless drill. What is that you have where the crank was?

If you pop the cover off and knock out one single roll pin, the crank comes right out. I then took a short length of drill rod, welded a nut on it and drilled it for the roll pin to replace the crank. I used the wrench size from my BAL stabilizers so that I could use the drill or the BAL crank to operate it.
It would be just as easy to use a shoulder bolt with a long enough shoulder.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by georgianwinds

I used to remove the wheel for travel to avoid bottoming out and then put it back on each time. Became a pain trying to align the darn holes at times. And so, I switched to the plate and love it. Needed to improve my backup skills though. The wheel option btw was still too much for one person to push the camper and besides most campsites had soft soil, rendering the wheel useless.

I also removed the crank handle and replaced it with a hex head bolt, cut to length, and drilled to receive a cotter pin. I then welded a 3/4" socket to the end of a new crank handle. Easy, peasy and now my tailgate will lower without hitting the crank handle.

On concrete it is easy to roll my 13D around with just one person.
I store mine in the back corner of my shop and move it around when needed for project space. the wheel really does help, and it works better than a dolly like this one....

[georgianwinds]

I did mine similar to Floyd using a hex head bolt. I use a crank handle with a 3/4" socket welded to the one end. A simple impact driver or drill will not lift my tongue weight. Insufficient torque. You would probably need an impact wrench. So I just use the crank handle. Best benefit is the added clearance for fully opening my tailgate.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by georgianwinds

I did mine similar to Floyd using a hex head bolt. I use a crank handle with a 3/4" socket welded to the one end. A simple impact driver or drill will not lift my tongue weight. Insufficient torque. You would probably need an impact wrench. So I just use the crank handle. Best benefit is the added clearance for fully opening my tailgate.

Good point about the drill choice.
I run 240 pounds of tongue weight and my small lithium ion Black and Decker drill will run it lock to lock without a recharge on a road trip of a month or more.
Caution....Impacts can be really harsh on the tongue jack mechanism.

[StevenMaria]

Ive heard you need the wheel to get it on a flat bed in case the trailer needs to be towed